Geoffroy’s woolly monkey (Lagothrix cana) is a large, arboreal primate from the Amazon (3) (5). As its alternative common name of grey woolly monkey suggests, Geoffroy’s woolly monkey has a thick, dense, grey coat (2). The face, hands and feet are black and the inside of the arms are also dark (2). Woolly monkeys (those belonging to the genusLagothrix) have protruding stomachs and for this reason they are known in Portuguese as ‘macaco barrigudo’, meaning big-bellied monkeys (6). Despite their large size and robust build, woolly monkeys are able to manoeuvre aptly through the trees with the help of their large prehensile tails (7).

Geoffroy’s woolly monkey occurs in South America. Two subspecies are currently recognised: Lagothrix cana cana occurs in Brazil and Peru while Lagothrix cana tschudii occurs only in south-east Peru (1). An isolated population of Geoffroy’s woolly monkeyshas also been discovered in Bolivia (8); this population may soon be classified as another distinct subspecies as individuals in this group are much darker in colour than those in Brazil and Peru (1).

This primate is usually found in cloud forest between 1,000 and 2,500 metres above sea level, although theBolivian population have been found as low as 700 metres (8). Geoffroy’s woolly monkey prefers non-flooded areas where there is an abundance of mosses, tree ferns, bromeliads and orchids (9).

Geoffroy’s woolly monkey spends most of its time high in the tree tops, moving through the upper canopy as it searches for fruit in the crowns of large trees (10). It is not as fast as other South American monkeys, such as the spider monkeys, and rarely leaps between trees, but it can hang suspended by only its tail if it needs to bridge a large gap (5). Although primarily a fruit eater, Geoffroy’s woolly monkey supplements this diet with young leaves and seeds during times of fruit scarcity (10).

Geoffroy’s woolly monkey lives in mixed-sex groups of 11 to 25 individuals (2) (7). The group moves together around the home range, sharing the best feeding spots with other Geoffroy’s woolly monkey groups in the area. There is little aggression between groups and they often forage close together and communicate with clucking calls. The males also make ‘neighing’ calls which can be heard up to 400 metres away (2).

Geoffroy’s woolly monkey usually lives to about 26 years old (2). The oldest males, who are also the most dominant, are very tolerant of other males in the group and allow the females to mate with more than one male (2). In primate terms, the length of mating in Geoffroy’s woolly monkey is very long, lasting an average of four minutes (2).

Geoffroy’s woolly monkey is desperately threatened by hunting (11), both for food and for the pet trade. Females with offspring are frequently targeted so that the babies may be sold into the pet trade. It has been reported that three hunters in the Western Amazon killed over 200 woolly monkeys in a little less than two years, resulting in their local extinction (11), illustrating the devastating effect that hunting may have on this species. Deforestation is also a serious problem for Geoffroy’s woolly monkey (1); forest is cleared to make way for agricultural land and, in the south of its range, as a result of mining for cassiterite (a mineral that is the chief source of tin) (11).

Luckily, many of the areas in which Geoffroy’s woolly monkey occurs are now protected within National Parks. In Bolivia the entire known range of the Geoffroy’s woolly monkey is contained within two protected areas (1). It is also listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning that any international trade in this species should be carefully monitored (4).

To find out more about Geoffroy’s woolly monkey conservation projects, see:

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Arboreal: an animal which lives or spends a large amount of time in trees.

Cloud forest: a tropical mountain forest, with a high incidence of cloud cover throughout the year.

Genus: a category used in taxonomy, which is below ‘family’ and above ‘species’. A genus tends to contain species that have characteristics in common. The genus forms the first part of a ‘binomial’ scientific species name; the second part is the specific name.

Home range: the area occupied by an animal during routine activities, which is not actively defended.

Oestrus: the time of ovulation (release of an egg from the ovary) in female mammals, when the female becomes receptive to males, also known as ‘heat’.

Prehensile: capable of grasping.

Subspecies: a population usually restricted to a geographical area that differs from other populations of the same species, but not to the extent of being classified as a separate species.

Wallace, R.B. and Painter, R.L.E. (1999) A new primate record for Bolivia: an apparently isolated population of common woolly monkeys representing a southern range extension for the genus Lagothrix. Neotropical Primates, 7(4): 111-112.